ATEEZ Member San Gains Massive Viral Attention for Bad

Following the cold aesthetic of November 2024 promotions for "Ice On My Teeth," ATEEZ returned with their 14th EP, "Golden Hour: Part. 5," on June 26. Short-form performance clips featuring 27-year-old member San drove domestic visibility across South Korea following years of stronger overseas traction.

According to Korea Herald, San's upper-body movement to the Brazilian funk beat near the conclusion of "Bad" became one of the most replayed choreography moments across online video platforms. During November 2024 promotions, fans labeled him the "northern duke" for his sharp visuals, but his latest Latin-inflected styling earned him the moniker "southern duke." San originally hails from Namhae-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, standing out as the first individual from the coastal county to reach mainstream entertainment success.

His journey to stage prominence required years of determination after an early elimination on JTBC's idol survival show "Mixnine" in 2017. Predebut evaluations from 2018 on Mnet's "Code Name is Ateez" highlighted his promise when choreographer Lia Kim noted his flexibility, remarking that he could become a central figure in the group's performances before their October 2018 debut.

"Looking back, I think the feedback and criticism I heard then made me stronger," San stated in a July interview with Edaily regarding his trainee years. "I tend to pay attention to every movement in order to properly convey the emotion of a song," he added when discussing the booming response to "Bad," noting his deep gratitude that viewers recognized his deliberate stage efforts.

Through years of relentless practice and consistent evolution, the Namhae native has cemented his reputation as a core focal point of the group's live presentations.